


Fermata the Blue

by MitchMatchedSocks



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: But He Gets Better, Crying, Eventual Smut, Intern AU, M/M, Power Bottom Jongin, Sehun Is A Dick, Sexy Jongin, Singing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-12
Updated: 2016-05-20
Packaged: 2018-06-07 22:49:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6828316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MitchMatchedSocks/pseuds/MitchMatchedSocks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sehun immediately feels threatened by the new intern. He's used to being the only hot young intern, and the addition of a second might make him irrelevant. He decides the only solution is to give the poor new guy a really hard time. But Jongin's got a few of his own tricks up his sleeve.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dissonance

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to do an intern au but the only internship I've ever had was at an opera festival like this one, and thus a story was born.  
> Has anyone noticed that the title of this story is a bad music pun? No one seems to have noticed yet.

Sehun immediately feels threatened by the by the new intern. He heard he would be getting some help, which is kind of a relief because he’s overworked, but he had hoped for a pretty girl his age, or someone vastly inferior to himself to pick up the dullest jobs and make Sehun look better. Unfortunately, it’s clear from the get go that the new intern is none of these things.

“Sehun, this is your new partner in crime. You’ll be working together a lot so play nice.”

The tiny Italian woman who runs the show, Lucia, sits down at the huge hotel table that serves as everyone’s office desk, while Sehun shakes hands with the new intern.

“Hi, I’m Jongin.”

“Hi.”

The new guy is almost as tall as him, and possibly more attractive, with soft brown, perfectly styled hair, wide innocent eyes and the most perfect pair of lips Sehun had ever laid eyes on, which was the first reason why he’s the threat. Sehun is used to being _the_ attractive intern. The addition of a second young attractive male intern makes them both kind of redundant, and the very last thing he wants is to be the less attractive of the two.

The second reason the new guy is a threat is because he certainly looked capable. If he can’t be used to make Sehun look better by comparison, then the office might forget how much they rely on Sehun to get all the dirty work done, and he’ll become irrelevant.

The usurper smiles pleasantly. Sehun thinks he looked a little nervous. He smells blood.

“You done this kind of stuff before?”

“Interned places? Not really.” Oh good.

“Can you use a copy machine?”

“Yeah definitely.”

“Then you’ll do fine.” Haha not likely. “Do you sing?”

The new guy looks kind of offended. “Of course!”

“You any good?” Jongin looks a little thrown off by the question.

“Yup!” Chimes Lucia from somewhere behind Sehun. Fuck. The new guy smiles bashfully. He’s adorable. Sehun smiles as he thinks what a shame it is that he’s going to have to make this guy’s life miserable.

“Ok team gather up.”

Lucia stands exactly five foot four even with heels, and she easily commands the whole room.

“Today is the first day of preparations for this year’s opera festival. All the artists and faculty are going to be arriving today, and we need to check them in, we need to get the faculty’s studios set up, we need to start organizing ticket orders and music, we need to print and organize programs, we need to set up a couple venues, the list goes on. It’s a big day people. I know everybody is jetlagged except for Jongin, but we can still pull out some strong work.”

Sehun notices with some satisfaction that Jongin looks a little frightened by the list. He turns to Sehun as they wait for instructions.

“So you intern with this production company a lot?”

“Yup. I’m local to here, but I’ve been in another city doing a similar festival with them for the past month, and I did the same thing last summer. Whenever they come into town during the year I always help out then, too.”

“Wow. I’m glad I have someone who knows what they’re doing. I’m probably going to ask for your help a lot.” The new guy’s eyes are a nice chocolate brown and so trusting. Sehun smiled sweetly at him and plots which jobs he can look forward to pawing off on him. Poor sweet Jongin in his nice collared shirt and slacks. Poor sweet folder stuffing Jongin.

 

He’s irritated with how long it takes until Jongin has to text him for help. It’s almost lunch time, actually.

**I’m really lost**

He doesn’t answer for two or three minutes.

**Where are you?**

**I was looking for Ballrooms A and B and now I’m in a maze of tunnels in the basement.**

“The new intern got himself lost in the basement.” He announces to the room at large, which responds with assorted cooing and laughter.

**Find some stairs?**

**They’re all locked. I can’t find the door I came through.**

**Ok I’ll come rescue you**

Sehun finishes up proofreading the program he has in front of him before he hands it back to a Lucia and goes to search for Jongin. He stands with his foot propped in the basement door until Jongin comes around the corner looking a little rumpled, wide eyed with cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Wow he’s really pretty. Sehun’s blood boils.

“Thank you so much, It’s a maze down here. This door was locked. Could you please show me where the ballrooms are?”

“Yeah follow me. So do you just have a really shit sense of direction, or what?” Its probably an unfair question. Sehun actually got himself lost down here too when he first started. But its fine because Jongin flushes again.

“Not usually…”

“You’ll get the hang of it, new guy. Just be careful around the artists until you do. They’re divas, ya know? They can get scary.” Totally a lie. The artists are all lovely charming people.

Jongin’s eyes get wider and his voice gets really quiet. “Ok.”

Sehun leads him all the way to the staircase up to where the ballrooms are before Jongin talks again.

“So does the company always set up in hotels?”

“For the festival, yes, but not for the short programs during the year. During the festival, though, this hotel gives us a whole floor to turn into a conservatory, basically. All the rooms get turned into studios for all the faculty and we use the big suite at the end of the hallway as an office. Then the ballrooms get used for master classes and smaller performances throughout the festival. We do all the big events downtown in churches and stuff.” Jongin probably knows most of this. Sehun just wants to talk down to him a little.

Jongin gets to work checking the setup for Ballroom A and Sehun heads back upstairs to negotiate making Jongin carry music stands to all the studios instead of him. He leaves Jongin to fend for himself during lunch.

They don’t get released until seven. Jongin looks tired, so Sehun puts in extra effort to look fresh as a daisy. Lucia gives them both pats on the shoulder and tells them to go home. On the way out of the building Jongin plucks up the courage to talk.

“I don’t know what you meant when you said the artists were scary. They all seemed really nice.”

Sehun snickers. “I know I lied.” Jongin laughs nervously, but he doesn’t look like he thinks it’s funny at all.

 

All the time before lunch the next day is spent sitting at the office table answering phone calls and filling out paperwork. There’s a stack of things to be copied sitting on the table for after lunch, and Sehun is plotting all the ways he can make Jongin do it. In the meantime, he has to watch Jongin’s stupid smiling face as he interacts with the office ladies, faculty, and artists as they wander through. He’s relaxed and natural on the phone. Such a charmer. But Sehun’s a charmer, too, and he’s already established an easy back and forth with all the regular people, and he’s never had any of Jongin’s shyness, so he still feels vastly superior. He takes every opportunity to remind Jongin and everybody else who the new kid is. Lucia seems to find it amusing.

For lack of a better option Sehun condescends to sit with Jongin at lunch. But only because everyone else is busy. Jongin is still shy around him, and seems to respect him as a superior, which is somewhat appeasing. He actually makes for pretty good conversation, and Sehun tries to keep it mostly civil.

Some time after lunch Sehun gets a text from Jongin.

**This copier is nothing like the one I’m used to. Could you please come down here to tell me how it works?**

**Dammit Jongin you had one job.**

**I’m sorry**

**I’ll be down in a minute**

“The new guy can’t figure out the copier.” He says to the room at large, and everyone laughs again.

“Ah, Sehun, I remember a day when you, too, were mystified by that copier.” Two of their regular Tenors, Beakhyun and Kyungsoo, walk over to ruffle his hair and coo about how cute he used to be.

Sehun frowns. “I never made any claim that I knew how to use one, and then didn’t.”

They ruffle his hair and giggle about when he was the new hot young intern before shoving more music to copy into his hands and running off, Rigoletto echoing down the hallway behind them. He finishes his coffee before going to help poor Jongin.

It turns out the last person to have used the copier left the settings all weird, so Sehun resets it and teaches Jongin everything he’ll need to know about using it to copy music and programs. He adds the Tenor’s music to the stack.

“When you get done with that we need to move some keyboards, so make it snappy. If I leave you here will you be fine? Can you find your way back up to the office, or will you get lost again?”

Jongin gives him an indignant look that makes Sehun grin.

“I’ll be fine. Thanks for your help.”

“Don’t mention it. And don’t fuck up.” He gives Jongin a nice solid smack on the ass and is rewarded by a gasp of surprise and another cute blush before he makes his way back up to the office.

Lucia greets him with a smile and waves a small piece of paper in the air. “Something very interesting happened while you were gone.”

“You decided to start paying me?”

“No way, don’t be silly. One of our young sopranos came in and told us to give her number to ‘the cute intern.’”

Sehun freezes. “Which one.”

“Rosa, the little blonde girl who always has her hair in French braids. Lovely high notes.”

“Which intern, Lucia.”

Lucia blinks at him innocently. “The cute one.” There’s a few beats of silence while the whole office waits with baited breath and muffled giggles. Sehun stares Lucia down. “Anyway if you could give this to Jongin next time you see him.”

Sehun dramatically falls to his knees with his hands over his face as the office erupts into laughter.

“Lucia, how could you do this to me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

One of their accompanists, Chanyeol, stops guffawing to put in his very unnecessary two cents. “How could you do this to Jongin, Lucia? Sehun is going to be so mean to him after this.”

“Sehun’s already mean to him. It’ll be fine.”

Chanyeol’s not wrong though. Sehun makes him carry all the heaviest, most unwieldy parts of the keyboards, never carries his full weight, and slaps Jongin’s ass again when he’s done. When they come back into the office Jongin looks like he’s been running laps around the hotel and Sehun hasn’t broken a sweat.

 

For the next few days Jongin continues to steal everyone’s hearts even though Sehun takes every opportunity to make him look bad. He continues to give Jongin all the stupid, hard jobs, which Jongin completes with minimal trouble and no complaint, and Sehun continues to slap his ass every time he has to help him. Most of the time Jongin remembers to try to dodge away, giggling, but Sehun did a little wresting in high school and usually he can get his hands on Jongin’s butt pretty easily. He also just really loves shoving Jongin around. Chanyeol sees them tussle once, and that afternoon Sehun gets pulled aside by Beakhyun so that the tenor can tell him that he ships him and Jongin.

“We’re all looking forward to seeing your intern love story unfold.”

“Fuck off, Beakhyun.”

The festival is in full swing now. They usually start their days taking phone calls in the office and end them late, ushering events. Ushering is Sehun’s favorite part of the job. It’s basically just a free ticket to performances, and after he’s done taking ticket stubs or working the will call table he can sit in the back and listen to the artists perform. Lucia really knows how to put on a show, and everyone is so talented it takes his breath away. He’s a classically trained baritone himself, and this company’s performances are what convinced him to study music in the first place. One day soon he’s going to be one of the artists, not one of the interns.

Friday’s performance is held in one of the Ballrooms on the second floor, and Sehun sends Jongin down early with a heavy, temperamental, cart full of program booklets, then follows him down with the will call orders, pretending to have been doing something very important, and sends Jongin to get a table and chairs to set up on. There’s really no reason for Sehun not to help, but he doesn’t anyway. When they get set up Jongin flops down in the seat next to him looking exhausted Sehun smirks to himself evilly.

“Jongin, we’re going to need a third chair. Probably.” He has an excuse prepared but he doesn’t need it. Jongin hops up to go get a third chair. He returns and sits down, a little less composed, and takes off his jacket. Poor thing must be hot after all the running back and forth.

“Put your jacket back on. There are people arriving.”

Jongin reluctantly shrugs back into his jacket.

“Lucia just texted me. She needs someone to help carry props down.”

Again Jongin hops up and rushes off to help. He and Lucia return with a couple props and some extra music for the performance accompanists. Jongin gets them where thy need to go and returns to the will call table and sits down again. Sehun lets him get comfortable.

“Dammit I forgot to bring down a stapler. Jongin run up to the office and grab a stapler.”

Jongin hops up again and runs upstairs. What a trooper. Sehun snickers to himself after he leaves.

“Where’s Jongin?” Lucia looks around expectantly.

“He’s getting a stapler.”

“You’re so mean to him.”

“Call it hazing. He’ll be fine. I went through much worse.” That’s probably not true. There hadn’t been any asshole senior interns intentionally forgetting staplers so that Sehun would have to get in later, but there hadn’t been anyone to split the work with, either.

Lucia’s is just as much of a bitch as Sehun is, so she doesn’t see any problem in that.

“Well when he gets back, tell him that we’re going to need more programs. I’d have you run and get them but you’re busy with will call.”

Sehun keeps his smile neutral. “Of course.”

When Jongin returns with the stapler, Sehun doesn’t even look up at him. “Thanks. Lucia says we need more programs. Go grab another box.”

Jongin gives one hysterical laugh, then says ‘excuse me,’ like he coughed or something, and turns around to head back upstairs. As soon as he rounds the corner Sehun dissolves into giggles and then schools his face when a couple of old ladies come up to get their tickets.

Jongin returns with the heavy box of programs and sets it behind the desk. He looks like he wants to drop but is trying desperately to keep it together. He sits down.

“I think we only need one person here for now. You should go help take tickets.”

Jongin, impressively, stays calm. “Okay.” He heaves himself to his feet and puts on a warm smile for the people at the door.

During the performance Sehun sits with Jongin, which is annoying because it’s hard to dislike Jongin even a little when he’s tearing up over the duet from The Pearl Fishers. To be fair it’s really hard not to tear up during the duet with the way Beakhyun’s beautiful clear voice soars through the high notes and blends perfectly with the baritone’s. It really is a beautiful piece of music. Sehun feels himself tearing up too, but he really doesn’t want to show weakness in front of Jongin.

Jongin is adorable when he’s wide eyed and teary, as always, the vision of innocence. It really is a shame. If he wasn’t so nice and sweet and boring Sehun might actually like him. Goody two shoes. Sehun chokes back sobs as all the singers close with an impassioned chorus of Nessun Dorma.

 

When Monday rolls around again Sehun finds himself the only intern in the office. Jongin is late. Sehun has never been late. Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow as Sehun takes a deep gulp of The Disgusting Offensive Coffee and sighs contentedly, a smile stretched across his lips.

“You seem in exceptionally high spirits this morning.”

“Last night’s performance was amazing. You rocked La Bohéme. I think Jongdae stole the show though.”

Kyungsoo nods and is about to respond when Lucia pipes up from across the room.

“I’m getting a call from Jongin.”

Sehun is very irritated when the whole room shuts up to listen.

“Hello Jongin! That’s fine. Oh I’m so sorry to hear that. Oh don’t worry about it. Sehun, where do you live?” Sehun blinks and gives her a general location. “Oh perfect. Jongin’s house is on the way then.” Sehun’s eyes widen in alarm. “We’ll just have Sehun drive you until your car gets fixed. Yes, he’s ok with that. Don’t worry about today. I’m sure Sehun can manage without you. Take a day off. Yes, I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye bye!”

“Lucia what the hell did you just sign me up for.”

“Jongin’s car apparently destroyed itself from the inside. Something about it being a very old car and a possible squirrel infestation. Anyway he can’t drive himself anymore, but his house is conveniently between yours and here, so you can pick him up and take him home. Consider it just another intern duty. Maybe he’ll even chip in for gas.”

Sehun frowns and a few people hide giggles behind their hands.

“You should be happy, Sehun.” Sehun turns to glare at a grinning Kyungsoo. “You get to carpool with the hot intern. The rest of us are dying to be in your shoes.” Sehun comes dangerously close to pouring The Disgusting Offensive Coffee all over Kyungsoo. He doesn’t smile for the rest of the day. He’d forgotten how hard things got with just one intern and by the end of the day he hasn’t felt so dead in a while. Jongin will pay.

He rolls up in front of Jongin’s house bright an early the next morning and Jongin hops into the passenger side, his usual adorable self, and gives him a bright smile that Sehun wants to tear off his stupid face.

“Morning!”

“It is.”

“Uh. Thanks for driving me. While I was at college this past semester my car was here and some squirrels decided to start living in it. They did a lot of damage apparently. It’s amazing my car lasted this long.”

“That’s bizarre.” He knows his tone is clipped and harsh, and he’s probably glaring all kinds of daggers.

“Um. Yeah I guess it is…” Sehun doesn’t feel bad for his sour mood, or the way Jongin curls in on himself in defense. The car ride is silent and awkward. Sehun feels victorious. Jongin steers clear of him that day, but sometime around three when Jongin has to set up for a master class he has to ask Sehun for help and he Sehun has never seen anybody look so meek and apologetic. He doesn’t even bother trying to dodge away when Sehun gives him an extra hard slap on the ass and stalks off.

Sehun continues feeling victorious until they’re almost back to Jongin’s house. He loves the awkward silence because he can see how uncomfortable Jongin is. He’s surprised when the other boy musters up the courage to say something to him.

“Sehun, if you really hate driving me that much I can find another way to get to work. I really am sorry. Lucia said you were ok with this.”

Sehun immediately feels bad. Jongin is actually really sweet. Too sweet to deserve this, even if Sehun wishes he doesn’t exist.

“No, it’s fine. I’m sorry I’ve been in a bad mood all day. It’s not you, I promise.”

Jongin looks so relieved that Sehun kind of wants to slap him.

“Oh that’s good. Not that you’re in a bad mood. I just really though you suddenly hated me I guess…” He must realize he sounds like an idiot because he trails off and looks at the floor again. Sehun is very glad when they reach Jongin’s house.

 

The next few days of driving are a lot more comfortable. Sehun kind of enjoys driving him to work so he can see him all well rested, bright, and shiny, and then put him through hell, and then see how exhausted he is on the way home. He feels like an evil genius.

“Sehun, you’re a dick.”

“You’re one to talk, Beakhyun. I don’t need your judgment.”

“You really didn’t have to make him run all the way down to the first floor three times in a row. I know you did that on purpose.”

Sehun shrugs. “I forgot about the other stuff on the first floor when I sent him the first time. It was an accident.”

Beakhyun snorts, but lets it go. Jongin reappears with an armful of copied programs, shooting Sehun a put out look that says that Jongin absolutely knows that Sehun sent him down three times on purpose. Sehun watches him set them down in front of Lucia and ask for another task to do. He’s a good sport, Sehun will give him that. To Sehun’s horror Lucia tells him to go entertain the mezzo sopranos.

There are two girls, Hwasa and Wheein, who tore the house down with an unbelievably sexy Carmen medley the night before, waiting to talk to Lucia about rep. Jongin turns to go join them over by the kitchenette and Sehun glares at a placidly smiling Lucia, because Lucia knows that entertaining the ladies is supposed to be his job, and Jongin glares at Sehun to let him know that he’s well aware of Sehun’s jealousy problems.

Jongin saunters over to the ladies and is all innocent charm. “You guys killed it yesterday. I barely even recognized you with all the sultry Carmen stuff. And of course you sounded amazing, but I expected that.”

Hwasa chuckles and pinches his cheeks. “Thank you, I’m glad you liked it.”

“You looked like you were having fun up there.”

“So much fun. There is nothing more fun than layering on the sexy.”

Jongin laughs adorably as the three talk about why acting seductive is so much fun and Sehun tries to tune them out, but banter about stage antics is more interesting than scheduling, so after a minute or two he looks back up to see what’s going on.

“So what do you have to do to act sexy?”

Wheein looks delighted. “Funny you should ask! Hwasa and I worked out a whole system for this. Do you really want to learn?”

Jongin, the idiot, nods enthusiastically. Sehun can’t imagine Jongin trying to be seductive. He’s too timid and awkward. He can’t wait to laugh at him when he tries.

“It’s really all about confidence. Even if you’re not that hot, if you can convince yourself that you’re hot then you can convince everyone else. Now Hwasa and I know for a fact that we’re hot, so it’s easy.”

Hwasa laughs and cuts in, arms failing around. “Yes exactly. Step one, confidence. Step two, eyes. And face. But mostly eyes. Once you’ve got the confidence you let it show by getting a hell of a smolder going. Like so.” Hwasa looks at the floor to get in character and when she looks up again the gypsy temptress Carmen has taken her place. Jongin leans back dramatically with a hand on his chest.

“Wow that’s amazing.”

“Are you ready for step three?”

“There’s a step three?”

“Step three is sex.”

Jongin’s eyes widen. “You have to have sex?” Sehun snorts loudly and Jongin blushes.

Wheein and Hwasa laugh good naturedly and shake their heads. “No you don’t have to have sex. You have to add sex to your performance. There’s a big difference between singing Carmen and making sexy faces, and singing Carmen, making sexy faces, and slowly pulling your skirt up so your leg shows. We thought that might scandalize some old people so we just wiggle around and try to have sexy mannerisms.”

“Like when you pulled the strap of your dress off your shoulder last night?”

“Yes exactly. Shit like that.”

“You should give it a go.”

Sehun pleads silently in his head for Jongin to give it a go. He’d love to see Jongin make himself look stupid. He could really use a laugh. To his absolute glee Jongin laughs nervously and nods. “Ok I’ll try.”

Jongin stands and leans against counter, which gives Sehun a perfect view of the impending train wreck. “Ok walk me through the steps here.”

Hwasa goes into instructor mode. “To get into character I always face the ground. It gives you a private moment to compose yourself.” Jongin does as he’s told. “Ok now step one is confidence. I’m sure you know you’re hot, and if you don’t let me tell you right now that all the girl singers and some of the boys are totally obsessed.” Jongin takes a moment to cover his face with both hands and laugh nervously, which is dumb because no one can see his face anyway, but then he composes himself again, still facing the ground. “Step two, eyes and face. Smolder it out. Playfully smirk. You are Lucifer himself and no one on the planet stands a chance against you’re burning gaze.” Wheein doubles over at burning gaze, cackling. “The sexy will have to come with the act. Don’t forget that you’re hot. Look up whenever you’re ready.”

Sehun holds his breath and prepares to laugh hysterically.

Jongin looks up. Sehun doesn’t laugh. Sehun forgets to breath.

Gone completely is the timid, innocent Jongin that he knows. The boy leaning against the counter is, in fact, the devil himself. He’s eyes are half lidded, intense and confident, and his lazy smolder is self assured and alluring. The girls squawk and freak out a bit and Jongin’s lips twitch up into a devastating smirk, posture slouching attractively against the counter. Sehun’s stomach clenches as Jongin runs his tongue over his lips. He directs a cheesy “Come here often?” At the girls who squeal with glee and jump up and down, then he slowly reaches up and starts lazily unbuttoning the top few buttons of his dress shirt. Sehun starts to feel light headed as his tan collar bones come into view.

Sehun realizes that he’s probably light headed because he still hasn’t breathed. He tries to gasp quietly, and he’s pretty confident he’s succeeded, until Jongin’s dark eyes flick over to where he’s sitting and Sehun feels kind of pinned in place, like he can’t breathe again. He can almost feel the way Jongin’s eyes track down his body, giving him a very obvious once over, then slowly dragging back up to land on his face, and he smirks wolfishly. Sehun knows his own eyes are wide, he’s probably flushed as hell, and his mouth is hanging open a little. He finally gasps in another breath and jerks his head away, desperately finding something else in the room to focus on. He feels a little better when a couple people around the room look just as star struck as him, including Lucia, but then he sees Beakhyun, who’s staring Sehun down with a grin even more wicked than Jongin’s, and he knows he’s fucked.

Over by the kitchenette Jongin has dropped the act. He’s back to the adorable, innocent kid that he always should be, almost invisible beneath a shrieking pile of mezzos. Now that he’s sure Jongin’s not looking at him, he feels free to stand jerkily from his chair and heads as fast as possible down the the bathrooms outside the restaurant on the second floor, so he can catch his breath and bask in the total humiliation he just experienced in peace. God he hates Kim Jongin.


	2. Suspension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one gets emotional, guys! There is some tough stuff and Jongin cries a lot.

Sehun spends the next five or so hours avoiding Jongin. He stiffly gives him instructions that take him off to the farthest corners of the building, makes him reprint an entire score because the bottom line on the piano part is cut off, even though the person who needs it is a soprano and doesn’t need it, and takes extensive trips to the bathroom to hate the world in peace.

So Jongin is hot. So he can pull off a smolder better than an anyone else on the planet. So maybe there’s more to him then the cute naive thing he’s come to know. It would all be fine if Jongin hadn’t seen him sitting there like a slack-jawed idiot. He’d never had such an embarrassing reaction to a person in his entire life.

But he still has to drive him home. They chat about the next day’s schedule for a minute or two before lapsing into silence. Sitting next to him like this with his hands folded neatly in his lap, Jongin in no way resembles the sultry creature who undressed Sehun with his sharp eyes that afternoon. Sehun licks his lips anxiously and watches the road. Out of the corner of his eye he can see Jongin turn to look at him.

“I know you sent me down to the first floor three times in a row today on purpose.”

“I didn’t. I just kept finding things while you were already down there. Why does everyone always assume the worst in me?”

“I’d believe you but it isn’t the first time you’ve done something like that. You’re always finding ways to make my life harder.”

Sehun bites his lip and stares at the road. He’d considered the possibility of getting called out, but he couldn’t remember any of his prepared excuses. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Jongin’s voice is quiet and pleading, “Why don’t you like me, Sehun?” The way he breaths his name makes Sehun’s breath hitch as he pulls up to a red light. He glances over at Jongin and realizes it was a mistake. Jongin face is softly lit by the street lights through the window. He isn’t wearing the smolder from before, but the way his head is tipped back against the seat, neck exposed and lips parted, eyes beseeching, is definitely intentional, and it’s fucking with Sehun’s insides. Jongin knows exactly what he’s doing.

“I like you.” Jongin’s gentle voice, though quiet, rings in Sehun’s ears. The way he says it isn’t implying anything more than platonic innocence, but Sehun still can’t breathe again.

Sehun jumps and swears when the car behind them honks and he realizes that the light’s been green for a little while now. Sehun hopes Jongin will let it go. He doesn’t really trust his voice not to crack if he talks. It’s so unfair that Jongin would do this to him twice in one day. But Jongin is actually Satan.

“Well?” Sehun recognizes the unusual deep smoothness of Jongin’s voice as step one: confidence. He’s amused. Sehun is sure Hwasa and Wheein would be proud to know that their pupil caught on so quickly. He’s probably surpassed them at this point.

He swallows before answering. “I already said I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t dislike you.” His foot eases down harder on the gas. He needs to get Jongin out of his car as fast as possible before he humiliates himself so bad that he can’t come to work tomorrow.

Jongin seems like he’s done torturing him, so he turns and looks out the window until Sehun finally pulls up in front of his house. Jongin wishes him goodnight without looking him in the eye.

 

When Jongin climbs back into the passenger side the next morning, Sehun hopes his sheepish expression means that he won’t be fucking with Sehun anymore. He’s still his normal timid self when they come into the office, greets everyone with the usual warm enthusiasm that makes him so unbearable all the time, and generally acts like he didn’t seriously fuck up Sehun’s ego the day before. Sehun remains tense. After lunch he gets a text from Jongin asking for help with a keyboard in a rehearsal room. It’s the annoying one that never works right. Sehun supposes he should have known his plot would backfire when he specifically gave the shitty one to Jongin to set up.

When it’s finally set up right and Jongin is bending slightly over the keyboard to test the keys Sehun contemplates not giving him the usual spanking for asking for help. He feels a little weird about it now. But not doing it would seem weirder and Jongin would know he got to him. So he does what he usually does and bases the strength of the smack on how annoyed he is with Jongin at the current time. And he is currently really annoyed with Jongin. He winds up and smacks him really hard.

Jongin makes a sound that can only be describes as a startled moan. It’s the sexiest noise Sehun has ever heard a human make in person, and he works with people who make sexy noises for a living. If you count classical singing as sexy noises. And Sehun does. He keeps his expression carefully blank as Jongin turns to face him, one hand massaging his ass. He looks wide eyed and pouty.

“Wow that one really hurt.” Sehun kind of wants to bend him over his knee and show him what hurt really is, because there is _no fucking way_ he didn’t do that on purpose. Jongin’s fighting a smile. Sehun hates him so goddamn much.

So he tries to make Jongin’s life easier. All of Thursday he gives Jongin the easy jobs and takes all the hard ones himself. That way Jongin won’t ask him for help. For some reason that doesn’t stop Jongin from tormenting him without mercy. Jongin walks into the office and stretches and his sweater rides up over his flat, muscular stomach and Sehun’s mouth goes dry. The rest of the room is equally captivated but Sehun just _knows_ that it’s directed at him. Jongin teaches the mezzos how to do body rolls. Sehun didn’t know it was possible to move your body like that. At lunch Jongin graphically eats an apple. Sehun doesn’t know how he manages that either. If Sehun tried it he would just look like an idiot, but he’s never seen anybody make eating fruit look so sensual. There’s a lot of lips and teeth and tongue involved. He makes eye contact with Sehun as he licks the juice from his gorgeous pink lips. Sehun finally gives in and excuses himself to the bathroom for a good twenty minutes. It’s a new low point in his young life to jack off at work. This job means a lot to him. Jongin is a wicked demon from hell.

 

On Friday Sehun is back to giving Jongin all the hard jobs because obviously going easy on him didn’t help anything. He sends Jongin down to copy some programs for the artists to keep in their binders, and instructs him to have the copier staple, hole punch, change from two sided to one sided, darken up the words, and whatever else he can think of. Its not subtle. Jongin looks very unimpressed but snatches the programs from Sehun anyway and heads downstairs. Sehun swears under his breath when not even five minutes later his phone buzzes.

**The copier stopped working. Help?**

**Ur shitting me**

**I swear I’m not.**

He gets a picture of an error message he’s never seen before and takes a minute to pray for patience. Chanyeol from across the couch wiggles his eyebrows.

“Are you two sneaking off to some dark corner again?”

“What? Since when—you know what never mind. You’re just an idiot. Have you ever seen this error message on a copier?” Chanyeol guffaws stupidly and shakes his head. Sehun drags his feet to the elevators. “The new guy broke the copier,” He announces to the room at large.

When he reaches the doorway to the copy room he almost turns and heads back to the elevators because Jongin is bending over the counter along the far wall looking at his phone. Propped up on his elbows, and the fabric of the nice black jeans Lucia told him he could wear is stretched tight over the curve of his ass. Sehun pulls Jongin away from the counter by one of his belt loops and Jongin yelps.

“The copier is having a crisis and you’re texting?”

“I googled the error message.”

“And?”

“I think paper might be stuck somewhere?” He pulls Sehun over to the copier and they poke at it a bit to find what tray they need and then they both crowd into the space next to the copier to try to look. The don’t both fit, but Jongin squeezes in first and then braces a hand on Sehun’s upper thigh as he squats down and opens the tray. God dammit. Jongin keeps looking up at him with those pretty eyes when he gives Sehun updates about what he’s doing, and the hand on his thigh never leaves. Sehun fight to keep his breathing normal.

“Ok I found it.”

“Awesome.”

Jongin grunts in effort as he eases out the stuck paper, and the fingers around Sehun’s thigh tighten. He hears a noise behind him and turns to see Kyungsoo leaning against the doorway with a shit-eating grin. One of these days he’s really going to kill Jongin.

Jongin pulls out a crumpled piece of paper and smiles up form where he’s kneeling in font of Sehun with a hand still on his thigh. Sehun realizes he’s got his own hands braced on the copier and on the counter, which has him leaning in over where Jongin is kneeling on the ground. He immediately stands up straight as Jongin rises to his feet by practically crawling up Sehun’s body, and once he straightens up Sehun finds that they’re really close to each other. He steps back maybe a little two quickly and Jongin gives him a look again. Half-lidded, knowing, maybe a little predatory. Sehun checks to make sure Kyungsoo is gone before he pulls Jongin forward and gives him a hard smack on the ass before the idiot can remember to dodge, and then leaves him alone to finish the complicated copy job.

Sehun makes Jongin call every musically affiliated organization in the city to look for a set of bongo drums for a show. Jongin backs up into him and ‘accidentally’ rubs his ass against Sehun’s crotch for the entirety of a crowded elevator ride. Sehun makes Jongin carry all the heavy boxes of programs to the ballrooms. He pretends all the carts are busy elsewhere. Jongin moans graphically while Hwasa gives him a shoulder massage. She can’t see his pleasure face, but Sehun can. Sehun makes Jongin call the lady with the fucked up ticket order forms to explain what happened. She’s an especially grumpy one. Jongin sits back in his chair across from Sehun and stares him down with an unimpressed smolder that looks straight off the cover of a fashion magazine until Sehun has to find an excuse to be somewhere else.

 

Friday’s rehearsal is for a fairly big show, and it’s packed to the brim with almost all the singers at the festival. Lucia bounces around barking orders and blocking songs with her usual cheery loudness, and Sehun and Jongin have a chance to catch their breath and watch. It’s always fun to watch a show come together, because it’s not just entrances and exits. It’s also figuring out where to stand and how to utilize the stage and the space to full effect.

The first song is the first act of La Traviata, a chorus that involves the full cast of singers, and Jongdae takes the male lead, and watching him perform is always a treat. Sehun and Jongin do their best to both energize and distract the singers from the back of the room until Lucia catches them and yells at them good-naturedly.

“Sehun, you are a horrible influence on him. Stop being a distraction! You’re going to regret that!”

Sehun doesn’t doubt it. Lucia can be vicious and spiteful, especially as a joke. He’s looking forward to it. Onstage the singers finish off the song with joyful flourish, and Lucia whoops and immediately starts yelling again.

“Great job, guys! Ok next we have the café scene from La Bohéme! I’m going to need everyone but the La Bohéme characters and the extra café goers I talked to to file off stage. Continue to act like you’re at a party until you’re gone! I see you Beakhyun! You’re an extra! Don’t try to sneak off!”

The stage empties into the audience, leaving a circle of five chairs around an imaginary table with three people in the center of the stage, two empty chairs to the left, which will be filled later on in the scene, and a couple circles of three or four chairs for the extras off to the sides. One of the groups has Hwasa, Wheein, Beakhyun, and Jongdae, which is a terrifying combination.

“We don’t have any tables right now, but all of the groups will have tables by this evening. Is that everybody?” Lucia scans the stage and spots the two empty chairs in the center group, and Jongdae standing, chair-less. “Where the heck is your chair, Jongdae? And where are Mimí and Rodolfo?”

“Mimí and Rodolfo are at a workshop for this piece upstairs. It was the only time the instructor could do it. And my chair is at the five-person table.”

Lucia is quiet for a moment, trying to figure out a solution. “Ok here’s what we’ll do. Give one of those chairs back to Jongdae, and we’ll have Sehun fill in for Rodolfo, and one of our young lady singers fill in for Mimí.”

Ah, Lucia’s revenge is always swift. At least he’s back to his job of entertaining the ladies. He strolls up to the stage and takes a seat and notices that Lucia doesn’t seem satisfied with his level of displeasure. She’ll probably find a way to make this worse.

“Now you see there’s only one chair. You’re going to have to get pretty cozy with the young lady who fills in for Mimí. You don’t have a girlfriend, do you?”

He shakes head, but to his horror half the people in the room immediately point to Jongin. Lucia laughs and turns to a very cornered looking Jongin.

“Oh perfect! Jongin get up here and fill in for Mimí.”

Holy fuck. She is not going to make Jongin sit on his lap. That would be too cruel.

She makes Jongin sit on his lap. The table of assholes cackles gleefully as Sehun tries not to look like a deer caught in headlights. Jongin sits himself tentatively on top of Sehun’s thighs with an arm over his shoulders, and Sehun keeps both hands firmly planted on his own hips. His discomfort must show because half their audience is giggling.

“Ok now I’m sure you two know the plot of La Bohéme, but let me remind you. You two just met and you are in love. Extremely in love. Like picture all the most disgusting couple couples you have ever met. You are them.”

Neither boy moves at all.

“Did you not hear me? In love! Be cute!” Sehun huffs and wraps both arms around Jongin’s waist, tugging him a little closer. Jongin puts his other arm over the other shoulder. Lucia snorts. “That’s a little better. Jongin, what was that you did the other day with Hwasa and Wheein? The Carmen thing?”

Sehun stares at Lucia in horror as Wheein squeaks from the other table. “Do Sexy Jongin! Sexy Jongin!”

Oh great it has a name now. Jongin laughs nervously and shifts around on Sehun’s lap. God Sehun wishes there was a table. They could have some leeway if there was, but without one they’re totally exposed. Nowhere to hide.

Lucia has never looked so wicked. “What’s wrong, Sehun? Are you nervous?”

Sehun feels defensive, so he responds with snark. “Yeah, I’m nervous that Jongin will embarrass himself, like usual.”

He regrets the words as soon as they they leave his mouth, because he knows he’s going to end up eating them. Jongin’s anxious expression flickers more towards irritation. His hand tightens on Sehun’s shoulder. The table of asshole extras cackles and oohs, like they’re in middle school or something. He squeaks “kidding, kidding,” but the damage is done and he knows he’s going to pay for it.

“I’m sure Jongin will do fine. Worry about yourself.” She heads off the stage and starts the scene, and he and Jongin cuddle awkwardly as everyone sings, just long enough for everyone to get into a groove, and then Lucia brings them to a grinding halt.

“CUT! You know what, I just can’t get into this scene, and I think it’s because Mimí and Rodolfo over here look like middle-schoolers trying to slow dance. You’re supposed to be cute, guys! Not awkward! The extras are more engaging than you are!”

Sehun grits his teeth. They’re not even going to be in the actual scene. Lucia is just a bitch who wants to see him burn.

He can do this. Sehun acted in every musical and play that his high school put on. It’s been a few years, but he wants to perform for a living anyway. That’s why he’s here.

This time he grits his teeth and makes an effort, and it’s actually excruciating to pull Jongin close and stare up into his dumb awkward face and snuggle against him, and he just knows he still looks stupid as shit. Sure enough, about half way through they get stopped again.

“Not good enough, interns! I know you’re not going to be in the real scene, but I still want to be able to enjoy this rehearsal! You’re dragging everybody else down!”

Sehun can hear the annoyed grumbling from all the other performers, and his cheeks burn. His one job is to make life easier for these people, and instead he can’t fucking _entertain_ Lucia enough, and now they’re suffering for it. He know how much long rehearsals and redoing scenes sucks. He also realizes that the only way he’s going to entertain Lucia enough is to let Jongin do his Sexy Jongin thing and completely him that way. It’s really a no win scenario. Lucia has him cornered. She’s clever, he’ll give her that. She’s probably good at chess.

He can hear Hwasa and Beakhyun chanting ‘Sexy, Jongin. Sexy. Jongin.’ In a quiet chant from the next table over, as he reaches up to tug Jongin’s head down so he can whisper, “You have to perfect opportunity to humiliate me here. Are you really going to pass that up?” His lips brush the shell of Jongin’s ear. “I know you can do better than that.”

When he pulls back Jongin is smirking at him. Its not quite his sexy smirk, but it’s still wicked. He breathes back “Be careful what you wish for.” Sehun prepares himself for misery.

Holy shit Jongin is _mean_. As soon as the song starts, Sehun is treated to the full effects of Sexy Jongin at point blank range as Jongin gives Sehun a devilish smirk and licks his lips theatrically. Sehun eyes are drawn like magnets to where Jongin’s tongue traces his full lips, leaving them shiny and soft looking. His own lips part under Jongin’s thumb when he reaches up to wipe something imaginary off of Sehun’s mouth. He looks back up to Jongin’s hooded eyes and knowing smirk, and is acutely aware of the sound of the table of assholes stifling laughter behind him.

A quick scan of the room tells Sehun that all the girls are shocked and pleased to discover that the cute intern can also be hot as shit. Sehun feels none of their joy. He only feels pain. But he still stares mesmerized up into Jongin’s hooded eyes with what must be the dumbest star struck expression, and lets one hand wrap lovingly around one of Jongin’s thighs, pulling him closer, and the other slides up his back. Jongin weaves a hand into his hair and tugs his head back. He nuzzles against Sehun’s cheek, as if he’s kissing him, which he thankfully isn’t, and some girls in the audience squeal. Jongin’s mouth hovers over Sehun’s ear.

“You look like you’re in pain.”

Great. His cheeks heat up, but at least that distracts from the dazed arousal he’d been feeling before. Lucia is snickering. That’s good. If they make her laugh she won’t stop them again. The table of assholes are all snickering too. Thankfully all the singers seem focused enough, even if the extras have forgotten about acting all together. They can fuck around all they want. Lucia doesn’t care about the scene looking good. She just wants to make Sehun miserable.

He and Jongin continue being disgusting. Sexy Jongin keeps a hand on Sehun’s neck or chest and the other in his hair, which lets him move and angle his head however he wants. Sehun’s pretty sure the Mimí in the opera would never be this controlling.

But at least Sehun doesn’t really have to act at this point. His mouth drops open and his eyes glaze over on their own accord as Jongin tugs his hair and mouths at his neck. All his acting ability goes into schooling his expressions so that he doesn’t look like he’s about to jizz in his pants. It’s a small comfort that the rest of the audience can see Jongin’s expressions, too. At least they know what Sehun is up against. Maybe they even understand why he looks like he’s in pain. Or they’re just laughing at him. Which is more likely.

They get a brief reprieve with Musseta’s waltz, which begins about two thirds of the way through. They just cuddle up and act comfortable and happy through the whole thing. But then the spotlight is on them again. Their characters are supposed to be singing, and several people who know the music hum their parts, but Lucia yells “that’s you, boys!” like she wants something. Jongin wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at the audience, fuckers not even trying to be in character, and pulls Sehun’s hand towards his face and sucks two fingers into his mouth.

Sehun’s sure he looks shell-shocked. The audience howls with laughter as he feels his face drain of all color, probably because all the color in his body is rushing southwards towards his dick. Jongin’s sucks gently on his fingers and his tongue slides in between them and god does he look good. Sehun swallows down an actual whimper as he stares at where his slick fingers disappear in between Jongin’s lips. Sehun thanks all the gods in heaven that Jongin’s not sitting on his dick. Because Sehun is hard. And that would be awkward. How the fuck is he going to get off the stage without people noticing?

Then as the song draws towards its close, the evil Sexy Jongin sees an opportunity to humiliate him further. He gets up off of Sehun’s lap and then gets right back on, and this time he straddles his hips, and his ass lands directly on Sehun’s dick. Sehun really does whimper this time, hopefully too quiet to be heard by the audience over the performers’ finishing notes, but Jongin hears it, and he grinds down onto Sehun’s lap, grabs his face with both hand, and Sehun feels Jongin’s thumbs land on top of his lips. Then Jongin stage kisses him to end out the song.

Sehun loses his cool completely and flails and squeaks against Jongin’s thumbs. The room erupts but Sehun barely notices, too focused on how smooth Jongin’s skin is up close like this. How Sehun could count his eyelashes if he wanted to. When Jongin pulls away he’s wearing a triumphant smirk, and Sehun can’t look away from the heat in his eyes.

He’s brought back to earth by the sound of Lucia laughing hysterically from the front row, and the table of assholes in a similar state of pandemonium behind him. He can feel the hot flush in his cheeks and he realizes he’s breathing hard and wearing a stupidly stunned expression. Meanwhile Jongin’s smirk has turned into something more like a weird goofy grin, like he’s fucking proud of himself, and Sehun can feel his hardness pressing up against Jongin’s ass through both of their pants. There’s no way he doesn’t feel it. Jongin shifts around on his crotch. Sehun makes a choked off sound of distress and mutters furiously “Get off me.”

Jongin goes right back to looking like the naïve idiot who’s scared of Sehun, which is the Jongin that Sehun greatly prefers, and hops of his lap as fast as he can with a quiet ‘sorry,’ and Sehun has to look away towards the audience because Jongin’s blush is really not something he can handle right now. Most of the singers are laughing and staring at them with wide, gleeful eyes and flushed cheeks like they can’t believe what just happened. The whole rehearsal has turned into a game of let’s embarrass Sehun, and he knows he resigned himself to this humiliation beforehand, but it’s nothing like actually experiencing it. And god he’s so pissed off, and so embarrassed, he could fucking die. Being hard on stage is a new low point in his young life. This job really means a lot to him. God he fucking hates Kim Jongin so fucking much.

 

He wishes he could claim to be sick and go home early but he still has to drive stupid Jongin, so he toughs out the rest of the day with Baekhyun and Jongdae sneaking up on him every so often to assure him that yes, they definitely knew he was hard there at the end, and yes, everyone else did too. Sehun wants to cry. He tries not to be too mad at Jongin. After all he basically gave him permission. But he still ends up making Jongin do pretty much every chore for the rest of the day because he feels too pissed off to work. The car ride home is incredibly awkward.

“I’m sorry? You did ask for it.”

“I know. Please let me lick my wounds in peace.”

“…okay.”

 

They have the next two days off, so Sehun sleeps and recovers from his crippling humiliation, and when he comes back on Monday, mostly healed, Lucia decides it’s a great idea to give them the worst of all awful intern jobs. They need to set up a projector and make sure the sound and video plays from the given computer. Without a second thought Sehun sloughs it off onto Jongin. It takes thirty minutes before Sehun’s phone buzzes and he doesn’t even have to look at it to know Jongin needs help. Fuck. “The new guy can’t set up a projector,” he announces to the room at large.

“That’s an odd way to refer to the guy you’re in love with.”

Chanyeol is a dick.

It turns out, unsurprisingly, that Sehun can’t set up a projector either. When he comes into the ballroom, Jongin is sitting on the floor surrounded by cords looking terrified. Sehun grumpily assesses the situation and it’s pretty dire. All the cords they have go to different machines, the projector bulb is burned out, there are no audio cables, the table they have to set up on is too low, there are no speakers, the computer is too quiet for anyone in the room to hear the video, and neither of them have any idea what they’re doing,

It takes them endless trips up and down the elevator, a lot of begging the hotel staff, an hour and a half of their time and their lunch break, two car rides to several different stores, and a lot of their own money to accumulate everything they need, and it takes them a good hour to actually set everything up and plug all the cords into all the right places. Nothing seems to work. Jongin is practically no help at all. When they’re done Sehun is panting and sweating and livid. He needs food and a nap and to be as for from Jongin’s big expressive eyes as possible. He almost forgets that he’s supposed to spank him for asking for help until Jongin looks up at him nervously through his eyelashes like he knows he deserves it, and then actually turns and braces himself against the projector’s shitty low table, ass out towards Sehun.

“Please don’t hurt me.”

Sehun wants to scream. He wants to walk away and not give in because the tables have turned in this game so bad. But he does really want to hit something right now, and if that thing is Jongin, then all the better. And if it’s Jongin’s ass, then, well. Sehun doesn’t really want to think about why he likes that so much. All he knows is that he’s frustrated and angry and Jongin’s got him all fucked up. He gives a small hysterical laugh and walks up behind Jongin. It’s so unfair that he’s just offering himself up like this, all pliant and submissive, and Sehun still feels like Jongin has him right where he wants him and Sehun’s giving in.

He presses up next to Jongin, grabs his ass and mutters “careful what you wish for,” and he can hear Jongin’s breath hitch. He pulls back and pours all his frustration and anger and humiliation and stress into one truly powerful smack. It’s fucking _loud_ and it stings the palm of his hand like a bitch and it’s so, so satisfying. The way Jongin actually wails and his arms give out and he lands on his elbows on the table goes straight to Sehun’s dick. He’s almost tempted to hit him again.

“Fuck!” He’s never heard Jongin swear before. He likes it. “I said don’t hurt me. Jesus” His voice has an odd shake to it, and when he looks back up at Sehun he doesn’t look flirty or sultry at all. His eyes are wide and his brows are furrowed, lips trembling, and he actually looks kind of scared, which kills both Sehun’s boner and his temper. He suddenly feels really, really guilty.

“I’m sorry.” His voice is soft and pleading. Jongin stands awkwardly in front of him with a hand on his ass and doesn’t meet his eyes. “I’m sorry, that was too far.”

Jongin nods quickly. “It’s ok.” Even for him, he’s too quiet. “I should have expected it. It’s been a bad day. I egged you on. I’m sorry too.”

Sehun shakes his head. That’s no excuse for how hard he just hit Jongin. He feels like a monster. Jongin is so pretty. And so sweet. And he’s had such a hard time the past two weeks, and now Jongin stands trembling in front of him and he looks like he’s wilting and all of a sudden Sehun can’t remember why he ever disliked Jongin. In retrospect he doesn’t think he ever did. All their cat and mouse games seem kind of stupid now. Sehun grits his teeth and pulls Jongin into a hug, and Jongin folds against him like he belongs there, warm and comfortable. It’s way more satisfying than hitting him, and It’s a few minutes before either pulls away. They’re both emotionally exhausted and for the first time they’re on the same page. It feels important. Its Sehun’s turn to give a shy smile.

“Lets get back to work.” Jongin nods and they head back up to the office together.

 

Sehun feels awful when everything goes wrong because it’s absolutely not Jongin’s fault. It really really isn’t. Lucia sends Jongin down early in the afternoon to check Ballroom B with the black binder with all the diagrams of floor setups with their dates, and Jongin checks it, gives the ok, and rehearsals carry on as normal. Lucia herself seems very excited about all the blocking she has planned, and it seems to be the only thing that gets her through what is otherwise a pretty shit day. She doesn’t actually get down to the ballroom to block the show until final run-throughs right before, and by then she’s the crankiest that Sehun has ever seen her, all annoyed huffs and short answers and sharp edges. Sehun and Jongin try to stay as invisible as possible as they follow her downstairs. When she walks into the room she freezes.

“What is this? This is all wrong.”

Sehun and Jongin exchange nervous glances from behind her.

“I thought someone checked this.” Her voice is rising well past a reasonable volume. “Jongin I remember sending you down to check this! I had very specific blocking in mind for this set! It won’t work when the room is set up like this!”

The whole room is staring. Jongin looks a little shell shocked and confused and opens his mouth to explain himself, but Lucia isn’t listening. She’s absolutely yelling now, hands fisted in her hair and eyes bugging out, and he remembers grimly that while Lucia is usually a delight, she is, at her core, a diva.

“Ugh you must have looked at the wrong day in the binder. You’re an idiot! This messes up everything! God dammit I should have sent Sehun down. I know I can trust him not to fuck up this bad.”

Sehun’s jaw drops. Jongin looks like he’s been slapped in the face. Most of the room makes displeased noises.

“I’m so sorry.” Jongin’s sounds so scared.

She rounds on him, eyes still bugging. “Do you realize how excited I was for this blocking? You’ve ruined everything! Get out of my sight! You can sit in the office until Sehun’s done watching the performance.”

She whirls back around and marches further into the stunned room, still muttering about saving the show somehow. Sehun had been looking forward to this show. It’s one of his favorites every year, but right now he doesn’t care at all. Not when Jongin is frozen in place, hands trembling, looking like his knees are about to give out or something. Sehun grabs his shoulders and leads him from the room. They go up to the office without a word and Sehun grabs all of their stuff and turns around again to push a confused Jongin back towards the door.

“Come on, we’re going home.”

“But the show…”

“Fuck the show. I’m too nauseated to sit through it right now.”

Jongin nods and they head to the car. The first couple minutes of the car ride are very quiet. It’s clear that Jongin is trying not to cry, and Sehun feels himself getting angrier and angrier. Jongin works so hard. So fucking hard. He gives everything he has and even puts up with all of Sehun’s extra bullshit without a single complaint. He’s never made a mistake before, not even a small one, and god knows Sehun’s been looking. He’s smart, capable, polite, passionate, and so, so hard working. He works himself to the bone every day because he cares, and because he just wants to do his best, and Sehun has never heard him whine about anything. And one tiny mistake that was fucking obviously not even his, and all his effort gets spit back in his face.

“That was bullshit.”

Jongin is silent, still staring out the window.

“I mean that was so clearly not your fault.”

“I must’ve looked at the wrong day.” He sounds so fragile.

“No of course you didn’t. Why would the staff have set up for a different day? They have all the setups with the dates, too. She obviously wrote today’s date on the wrong setup. Of course you looked at the right day.”

There’s another quiet minute and Sehun stews some more.

“She had absolutely no right to talk to you that way. I don’t care how important she thinks she is, or how bad her day was. We all have bad days. You work too hard to get spat on like that.”

Jongin finally lets himself start crying. Sehun knows it’s not just because of the misplaced scolding. He’s been watching Jongin slowly wear down throughout the whole festival, and for the first time it doesn’t make him happy at all. He feels awful. A lot of Jongin’s stress is a direct result of his own jealousy problems.

When they pull up in front of Jongin’s house, Jongin is full on sobbing in Sehun’s passenger seat, curled up with his head resting against the door and his face in his hands. Sehun climbs out of his side, walks around to Jongin’s, and pulls him out of the car into a tight hug. Jongin shakes against him while his tears soak through Sehun’s dress shirt, his arms trapped against Sehun’s chest.

Sehun gets tired of standing out in the open pretty quickly, so he and nudges Jongin into the backseat, follows him in and closes the door. He’s only a little surprised when Jongin curls himself across Sehun’s lap to keep crying. This way Sehun can rest his cheek against Jongin’s soft hair as he holds him.

Eventually Jongin trails off to occasional hitched sobs, and he tugs absently at the collar of Sehun’s shirt.

“I never really cared about opera in high school.” Sehun is surprised to hear him speak. He moves a hand encouragingly into his hair and tugs gently on the silky strands. “I’ve always sung. I’ve always been good at it. But I never really cared about the actual art of singing until the opera company started coming to town. Their performances are so beautiful. I’d never felt so moved by something in my whole life. So I went to every performance I could.”

Sehun remembers a similar experience. He’d gotten involved when he was still in high school.

“I saw you at those performances, too. I saw that you got to be around all those amazing people with their amazing voices. You got to talk to them. You got to work with them and help make the magic happen. I really really wanted to do that too. Until I was good enough to be on the stage, I wanted to be around to help bring those performances to life, even if I was just taking tickets and passing out programs.” His breath hitches again, and he takes another few moments to regroup.

“When I got the internship I was so happy. But I was also really nervous because I’ve always been shy around people I don’t know. God I was so nervous.” Jongin his fingers curl tighter on Sehun’s collar takes a deep breath, like he’s about to go underwater. “I liked you from day one.” That catches Sehun a little off guard. “You were so at ease and put together. You looked like you belonged. I wanted so badly to be like you. I wanted to prove to everyone that I could be just as useful. It’s so easy to tell that you’re essential to the team. That’s probably why I put up with all your dumb chores. I felt like if I did them without complaint I could prove myself. I kind of liked that you saw me as enough of a threat to give me hard time. But I also– I also just really wanted you to like me. But you were so cold. Whenever I did what you said it just seemed to make you hate me more. I got really fed up. I wanted to get back at you but I didn’t know what to do.”

Sehun pulls Jongin closer, guilt rolling through him.

“When I saw your face across the room when the mezzos taught me their Carmen thing, I thought I finally had a way to get to you. You’ve had my undivided attention since we met, and it felt so good to finally have yours, not to mention to get back at you for making my job so hard. The way you looked at me whenever I did the sexy thing made me feel like maybe you did take me seriously. Or that maybe you didn’t hate me after all.” He sobs again and Sehun rocks him a little, whispering platitudes into his hair.

“I don’t hate you. I never hated you. Not really. I’m just a dick.”

“But then this morning after the projector thing you hit me so hard.” His voice shakes with the effort to speak. “I realized that I didn’t want to tease you anymore. I just wanted you to stop hating me. I was so scared that you really hated me. I’ve worked so hard to be as good as you.” Jongin dissolves into sobs again and Sehun clutches him to his chest, murmuring into his hair.

“I know how hard you’ve worked. I know how much you care. You’re so patient and smart and diligent and everyone loves you. It took you so much faster win everyone over then it took me. You’re a way better intern than I am. That’s why I was jealous. I’m so sorry for all the shit I’ve put you through.”

Jongin cries until the entire shoulder of Sehun’s shirt is soaked through. The way Jongin’s clinging to it has popped a few of the buttons open, but Sehun barely notices. He’s calmed down again, but he still looks miserable. “How am I going to show my face at work tomorrow?”

“Lucia is going to see that she was wrong and apologize profusely. The rest of the team is all on your side anyway. I guess you didn’t see their faces when she went off. They were pretty disgusted. If anyone should be worried about showing their face tomorrow, it’s her.”

“You promise?”

‘Yes I promise. I’m telling you, everyone adores you.”

“Even you?” Jongin tips his head back and looks up at him with wide, tearful eyes. He’s the only person Sehun’s ever met that still looks beautiful when he cries.

Sehun kisses the top of his head and pulls him tighter against his chest. “Especially me.”

It takes them another twenty minutes before Sehun finally rouses Jongin from where he’s dozing against Sehun’s shoulder to suggest that they get him inside and call it a night. Jongin nods sleepily and allows Sehun to grab all of Jongin’s stuff and nudge him out the door towards the house. His eyes are still red and his face is still swollen from crying, but Sehun can’t take his eyes off him in the gentle yellow of the porch light. They stop at the doorway and Jongin braves a smile.

“Thank you so much, Sehun. I feel a lot better. About everything.”

“I’m glad. I’m sorry again for being such a dick this whole time.”

Jongin laughs good-naturedly and Sehun is struck by how much he likes Jongin’s smile. He takes Jongin’s face in his hands and steps closer until they’re only a few inches apart. And looks right into his beautiful brown eyes.

“You’re amazing, Jongin.”

Jongin stares back at Sehun, beautiful eyes open wide, and Sehun leans in and presses his lips gently against his. They’re just as soft as they look and Sehun sucks gently on Jongin’s bottom lip until he kisses back. Sehun had planned for it to be a quick kiss, just one for the road, but Jongin’s full lips are so sweet that he can’t pull away, and Jongin presses in close and wraps his arms around Sehun’s neck and Sehun never wants to leave. There’s nothing hurried about the kiss. It’s sweet and gentle and caring, even after Sehun licks into Jongin’s mouth and slides his tongue against the other’s. After a while he reluctantly pulls back and rests their foreheads together.

“Get some sleep. I’ll see you first thing tomorrow morning. And if you’re worried about going to work tomorrow, just remember that a few days ago I popped a boner on stage in front of most of the singers in the festival, and they all knew it.”

Jongin giggles and gives Sehun one last kiss before saying goodnight. Sehun can’t stop smiling all the way home.


	3. Resolution

Jongin is remarkably calm when Sehun picks him up the next day. He gives him a shy smile, like he’s not sure exactly where they stand, so Sehun grabs his hand to press a firm kiss onto the back of his fingers. Jongin blushes and his smiles wider, and they chat all the way there about their favorite arias. They both really like French repertoire, like Bizet and Debussy, but they also both list of a couple Italian favorites as well. 

“I’m really not looking forward to seeing Lucia this morning.” Jongin nervously runs a hand through his hair.

“Me neither. I’m trying to decide whether or not to hide the total disgust that I’m sure I’m going to feel when I see her. Fucking diva.” 

Jongin smirks. “You’re one to talk, Mr. jealousy problems.” 

Sehun has to laugh at that. “Touché.” 

Just as Sehun predicted, Lucia shoots up out of her chair to give Jongin a hug.

“I’m so so sorry about yesterday. I looked at the binder last night and I labeled the pages wrong. It was totally my fault and I said some awful things. None of them were true. You’re absolutely wonderful and I don’t know what we would do without you.” 

Work gets easier after that. Sehun doesn’t order Jongin around anymore, and they make a great team. Sehun doesn’t spank him when he asks for help. Jongin rarely needs help anymore, but when he does Sehun finishes by kissing him deeply, which Sehun likes a lot more.

The artists and the office definitely suspect something. Sehun spots Chanyeol and Baekhyun spying on them from around corners as they walk to lunch. They’re giggling way too loudly to be sneaky. Sehun can hear them as they dash from behind a wall and skitter stupidly across the hall to dodge behind a pillar. Baekhyun lands on Chanyeol’s foot, and Sehun and Jongin both turn around and glare as Chanyeol shoves him back out into the hallway.

“Oh. Uh. Hi guys. Funny seeing you here.” 

“Were you stalking us, Baekhyun?”

“No! Chanyeol made me.” 

“Chanyeol? I don’t see Chanyeol anywhere. I’m not buying it.” 

“What?! Chanyeol’s right here! He’s behind the pillar.” He tries to tug Chanyeol out but the tall asshole somehow manages to keep himself hidden. 

“Likely story, Baekhyun. I’m telling everyone you’re a stalker.” As they walk off they get to enjoy the lovely sounds of Baekhyun roughly kicking Chanyeol in the shins. 

Every day Jongin loosens up and comes out of his shell a little more. Where before he was stressed and nervous, now he’s relaxed and confident. Sehun sees glimpses of Sexy Jongin everywhere, even when Jongin’s not trying. 

“Something is definitely up.” Kyungsoo corners them as they count programs into boxes to be taken to the evening’s venue. “You two are getting along suspiciously well.” 

“We worked things out.” 

“With fucking?” 

“Now, Kyungsoo, just because you want something to be true so you can beg for a threesome doesn’t mean it’s actually happening.” 

For such a small person, Kyungsoo sure has strong arms. Sehun cannot for the life of him escape the headlock, and Jongin doesn’t help at all.

“Oh, quit whining. You deserve it.” 

“Why does he deserve it, Jongin?” 

“He used to spank me whenever I needed help.” 

“What?!” Kyungsoo is adorable when he’s shocked, and Jongin reaches over and pinches his cheeks. It’s enough distraction for Sehun to wiggle free, and Kyungsoo runs off to tell Jongdae. 

 

On Thursday they get dinner together after work. It’s their first real date and Sehun takes him to a lovely Greek café by the river. Jongin morphs from sweet adorable work Jongin into relaxed confident Sexy Jongin and Sehun doesn’t even notice until he realizes that he’s been short on breath for the past ten minutes.

“So where does this come from?” 

“Where does what come from? 

“Your sexy alter ego that fucks me up so bad. You’re doing it right now.” 

“Oh this. Actually, I act really shy at work because I’m nervous most of the time, but usually I’m not so quiet. Sexy Jongin is a lot closer to how I act around my friends when I’m comfortable. Not to that degree, of course, but I’m more confident and stuff.” 

Sehun processes this. “Oh boy. That means I’m going to have to learn to function around Sexy Jongin or I’ll just be a pathetic puddle of aroused ooze whenever we’re together.” 

“I’m sure you’ll get used to it.” Jongin laughs and Sehun can feel his chest fill up with butterflies. He’s beautiful when he laughs. 

“I’ll never get used to you.” 

It’s kind of satisfying to make Jongin look breathless, because Jongin does it to Sehun all the time. The waiter chooses that convenient moment to reappear, but she looks a little embarrassed to be there. Sehun’s sure he and Jongin are disgusting. He’s very happy about it. 

They stay at the table and talk for hours, and then make out in the car when Sehun drops him off. Sehun is pleasantly surprised when he feels solid muscles beneath Jongin’s shirt. He pulls their hips together like a promise of things to come, but it’s late and tomorrow is a big day, so he walks Jongin to the door and then heads home. 

 

Friday is the last day of the festival, which means it ends with the finale performance, their biggest and best. They open with La Traviata, sing through a long set of truly beautiful and entertaining music that has Jongin and Sehun passing each other tissues, and close with another powerful chorus of Nessun Dorma. Both interns sob pathetically. Sehun’s parents, seated a few isles ahead, give him raised eyebrows and significant smirks as he holds Jongin close and kisses his hair. He subtly flips them off. He gets the same looks from a certain three tenors and an asshole accompanist, as well as some excited squeals from a couple of mezzos. 

They help pack up in a hurry and then pile into Sehun’s car, eager to get home and rest. As they approach the turn into Jongin’s neighborhood, Sehun remembers that his parents always go out to eat at fancy, slow, restaurants with all their opera loving friends after these events, which means he has the house all to himself for a few hours at least. 

“So I could take you home. Or we could skip yours and go straight to mine.” 

“Lets do that.” 

“Ok cool.” 

Cool doesn’t even come close to describing this turn of events. Sehun hasn’t been so excited about something since a Chipotle opened just a block away from his dorm at school. Sehun’s house is big and simply decorated. He gives Jongin the grand tour and then takes him up to his room. It’s a nice room on the third floor that was supposed to be attic space before Sehun claimed it as his own. It has a sloping ceilings and walls papered with all kinds of posters and art prints and other random junk he’s picked up. He thinks it’s kind of arty. 

“I like your room.” 

“Thanks. I’m proud of it.” 

“Oh my god your bed is so comfortable.” 

“Lots of memory foam.” 

Jongin slips off his shoes and curls up into a cute little ball on top of the comforter and buries his head in one of Sehun’s fluffy pillows. His looks back up at Sehun with wide, expectant eyes, and Sehun realizes that the other boy is nervous. Sexy Jongin is nowhere to be found. 

Sehun turns on his string lights and turns off his overhead in order to set the mood, and then flops down next to Jongin and reaches out to poke his nose. 

“I love your eyes. They’re so pretty.” 

“Likewise.” 

“And your lips. And your hair.” 

“Thanks.” He’s blushing. 

“And your jawline. And eyebrows.” 

“Oh my god, Sehun.” He looks more flustered by the minute.

“I like your hands.” 

“Are you serious? Shut up.” 

“And your collar bones. I only saw them once but I liked them.” 

“Ew. When did you even see my collar bones?” 

“Your smile makes me melt.” 

“Sehun if you don’t shut up right now I’m going to punch you.” 

“I like your butt.” 

Jongin uses the pillow under his head to violently attack a frantically giggling Sehun. The two wrestle on the bed for a while until Sehun almost gets smothered and Jongin almost suffocates from laughing so hard. When Jongin pulls the pillow off of Sehun’s face, Sehun looks up into a pair of bright grinning eyes and a smirk that definitely belongs to Sexy Jongin, who is currently straddling his hips. 

“Holy fuck you’re hot.” 

“I know, Sehun. I know I’m hot.” Sehun snorts. “You’re pretty hot too though.” Jongin starts unbuttoning his shirt. 

“I love your eyes. I love how they close into little half moons when you laugh. I love how you lick your lips when you’re thinking. I love your dark hair. I love your intense eyebrows.” It’s Sehun’s turn to flush and he rubs his hands up Jongin’s thighs as Jongin’s shirt slowly falls open to reveal more and more smooth, dark, skin. “I love your waistline. I love your long legs.” He pulls his shirt slowly, sensually off his shoulders and lets it slide down his arms and off his wrists as he bends down so he can nibble at the shell of Sehun’s ear. “I love your pretty, round, perfect, ass.” He breaths gently, and Sehun moans as his fingers tighten on Jongin’s thighs. 

Sexy Jongin starts working on the buttons of Sehun’s shirt as he nibbles and licks his way down Sehun’s jaw towards his mouth. Sehun is only too eager to meet Jongin’s lips with his own, and his hands slide slowly up Jongin’s bare sides. His skin is so warm and smooth. 

The last button pops open and Jongin grabs greedily at Sehun’s stomach and chest, feeling over the shapes of his muscles and ribs. A thumb rubs over Sehun’s nipple and he gasps, giving Jongin the perfect opportunity to slide his tongue into Sehun’s mouth. 

“Fuck I’ve wanted you so bad for three weeks. You’re always strutting around in those tight pants that make your ass look so amazing. Do you know what I did the first time you spanked me? I went home that day and jacked off imagining you bending me over the copy machine, or fucking me on the couches in the office when no one’s around.” 

Sehun whimpers and tangles his hands in Jongin’s hair. 

“Are you going to fuck me good, Sehun? I know you’re big. I could feel it under my ass the other day in front of all the singers. I wanted to stay there and rut against you until you came in your pants like a teenager.”

“Jongin. Please…” 

“Please what, baby?” he kisses at the corners of Sehun’s mouth as Sehun tries to organize coherent thought. 

“Please let me fuck you.” 

Jongin hums and crashes their lips together for a filthy kiss. He pulls back, eyes dark and intense, and smirks.

“Of course, Sehunnie. You know I’ll do whatever you want.” 

Obviously the next step is to get both their pants off. Jongin rolls off him and they both scramble out of the rest of their clothes, and even in his aroused state Sehun has to giggle when they’re knees knock clumsily together.

“Where’s your lube and stuff? I want you to finger me.” 

Sehun nods and leans over the edge of the bed to grab lube and a condom from underneath it, but gets distracted when he feels one of Jongin’s hands pawing at his ass. He kneads the soft flesh with one hand and gives him a few light slaps, and Sehun groans and spreads his legs. 

“You sure you don’t want to fuck me?” 

“Oh I definitely do. But I want your dick in me first.” 

Sehun is definitely ok with that. He struggles back onto the bed and turns to look at Jongin stretched out behind him. “God damn you look so good naked.” Sexy Jongin lounges like a model across the blankets and gives Sehun a wink that makes Sehun’s breath catch in his throat. 

“Come on then.” He beckons to Sehun with a finger and Sehun falls into his arms and kisses him eagerly, licking deep into Jongin’s mouth. Jongin pulls back but keeps Sehun’s face close with a hand on the back of his neck, and grabs the lube that Sehun discarded on the bed.

“Hand?” Sehun presents his hand and Jongin squirts lube onto his fingers, teasing him with quick kisses all the while. Sehun settles his knees on either side of one of Jongin’s legs so he can rut against his firm thigh as he pushes the first finger into Jongin’s body. Jongin hums and presses up against Sehun crotch with the leg, and lifts his other leg towards his chest to give Sehun better access. He clutches Sehun close to him and never stops hungrily ravaging his mouth. 

Sehun thinks he’s pretty ok at fingering people, He works the first finger in and out until Jongin is nice and relaxed and then adds another. Jongin throws his head back on the pillow and groans. He looks so good like this, gasping in pleasure with his hair tousled attractively out of place against the pillow.

“How are you so hot?” 

Jongin smiles, eyes glassy and lips wet, and Sehun moans and rocks harder into Jongin’s leg as he captures Jongin’s lips in another desperate kiss. His fingers scissor and curl deep inside Jongin until he finally rubs against his prostate. Jongin jerks and cries out, hands grabbing for Sehun’s shoulders. 

“Right there. Ah! Fuck, Sehun.” 

“We’ll get there, beautiful.” 

“You’re so cheesy—oh! Put in another.” 

Sehun slips a third finger into Jongin, who whimpers against Sehun’s lips. All of a sudden Jongin plants his foot back on the bed and flips them over with Sehun on his back underneath him. Sehun is a little dizzy with surprise, and Jongin pinches his side to get him working again.

“Don’t stop just because I’m on top now.” 

“Sorry I was just surprised.” He gets back to work between Jongin’s legs as Jongin takes control of the kiss with such ferocity that soon they’re both moaning. Sehun has never been so turned on in his life. It’s so hard to reconcile the submissive Jongin that did his bidding without question for three weeks with the one on top of him now, and he absolutely loves it. 

“Ok fingers out. I’m ready.” 

Sehun slips his fingers out and Jongin sits up on his knees and pins him in place with a hungry look. Sehun is gasping for breath. He feels vulnerable and on display as Jongin stares down at him, eyes raking up and down his body. 

“Fuck you’re gorgeous.” 

“Are you going to ride me now?” 

“Yeah. Just let me look at you for a minute. You look even better naked than I do.” 

Sehun sincerely doubts that, but he flushes and swallows anyway, trying not to shrink under the intensity of Jongin’s gaze. It’s the same one that the mezzos taught him way back when, and the effect is even stronger now that they’re both naked and alone in a dimly lit room. He feels like he can’t breathe again as he stares up at Jongin and his fists clench in the blankets to keep from reaching out for him. 

Jongin’s eyes have softened to something almost reverent. 

“No one’s ever looked at me like you do.”

Sehun swallows and finds his voice. “How do I look at you?” 

“You look at me like I’m the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen. Like you can’t believe I exist.” His voice is soft and tender, and all of a sudden he looks more like shy, sweet Jongin. “Like I’m all you’ve ever wanted.” 

Sehun’s breath catches in his throat again. “Yeah that sums it up pretty well.” 

Jongin scoffs affectionately and leans down over Sehun. “Likewise.” He kisses Sehun slowly and sweetly, like he’s savoring every second, and Sehun pulls him in tight and returns the kiss with everything he has, trying to convey with every push and slide of their lips how much he wants this. How unbelievably beautiful Jongin is. Jongin lifts his body off Sehun’s without breaking the kiss and somehow manages to get him lubed up with a condom on and positioned with his dick nudging at Jongin’s entrance. 

“You ready?” 

“So ready.” And Jongin sinks slowly down. 

Jongin is hot and slick around him, and so, so tight. He grits his teeth and keeps his ass firmly planted on the mattress, resisting the urge to thrust up into Jongin’s body. They’re both panting and gasping when Jongin seats himself fully on Sehun’s lap and relaxes.

“Fuck.” That’s about all Sehun can manage at the moment. 

“You feel so good inside me. You fill me up so well.” Sehun’s chest is heaving and he hopes it shows on his face how good he feels, because he doesn’t think he can say it right now. He tries. It comes out in a high keen, completely unintelligible. Jongin laughs. Then rocks forward gently and moans through gritted teeth. For a minute all he does is roll his hips in smooth circles and Sehun grips at his thighs again and whimpers. 

Jongin leans forward to twine their fingers together and pins Sehun’s hands to the bed on either side of his head before he lifts himself slowly off of Sehun’s dick and sinks back down. His eyes are dark and predatory as he stares down at Sehun’s blissed out face. He’s panting too, soft sounds of pleasure leaving his parted lips as he sets a steady pace. It’s not nearly fast enough, not nearly the friction either of them need, but Jongin takes his sweet time working Sehun up, like this is still foreplay. 

“Jongin, harder.”

“Isn’t that supposed to be my line?” 

Sehun gasps and his eyes slip shut as Jongin swivels his hips sharply. “I think we know who’s doing the fucking here.” 

Jongin looks worried for a minute. “Are you ok with that?”

“Do you see me complaining?” Sehun laughs breathlessly. “I’m so ok with this. But if you could just. Go a little faster. That would make my day.” 

Immediately Jongin speeds up, laughing, adding his little hip swivel to the end of every motion. “You can move too, ya know.” 

“Oh yeah. I forgot.” Sehun jerks his hips up into Jongin, who gasps and squeezes Sehun’s hands. 

“Fuck yeah. That was good.” Their pace gets faster and harder until Jongin is bouncing on Sehun’s lap and Sehun feels like he has to hold back again to keep pace. He wants to thrust up into Jongin as fast and as hard as he can, but Jongin can’t move that fast, and his thighs are already trembling for effort. Jongin leans down over him and slows again. Sehun groans in frustration. 

“Sehun. On my back.” It takes Sehun a minute to process, but when he does he carefully flips them over and finally, finally starts thrusting in deep like he wanted to. Jongin moans loud and long and hooks both legs around Sehun’s waist, pulling him deeper. Sehun adjusts the angle and hits Jongin’s sweet spot, and Jongin yelps and wails, scratching at Sehun’s shoulders with short nails. 

“M’close, Jongin.” 

“Me too.” Jongin moans loudly with every thrust, head throw back and eyebrows furrowed with effort. Sehun can’t look away. 

“Sehun, touch me.” Sehun obediently reaches between them and starts tugging Jongin off in time with his thrusts. It only takes a few more deep thrusts to send him over the edge, and he clenches hard around Sehun and comes into his hand with a high, desperate whine. That’s all it takes to finish off Sehun, as well, and Sehun buries himself as deep as he can go and grinds his way through his orgasm until he’s completely spent. 

“That was awesome.” Jongin pets through Sehun’s hair as Sehun comes back to himself. 

“Yeah. Wow.” He slides out of Jongin and ties off the condom, and goes to throw it away and grab tissues. When he comes back Jongin is holding yet another wrapped condom between his fingers. 

“We’re about the same size. This’ll fit me.” 

“What, right now?”

“In a couple minutes, if you’re down. I need some recharge time.” 

Sehun is definitely down. He just feels really spent right now. “Yeah let’s do it. But… I’ve never bottomed before. Not that I don’t want to.” 

“I’ll make you feel good, I promise.” He tugs Sehun down to lie next to him and tangles their legs together. Sehun wraps and arm around him and pulls him close. He really likes this. Just the feeling of skin on skin as they tangle themselves together. There’s something very intimate about cuddling naked, something comforting in the way that they can just be together, in nothing but their skin, vulnerable yet safe, faces barely inches apart. 

“When this is over…” Jongin’s watches his hand in Sehun’s hair as he talks, quiet and shy again. “and Lucia and the office ladies and all the singers go home. We’ll still be here. Just the two of us. And I don’t want to stop spending time with you, just because we don’t work together anymore.” 

Sehun slides his hand to the back of Jongin’s neck, thumb brushing behind his ear, and Jongin finally meets Sehun’s eyes as he responds. “I want the same. I want to take you out to eat and I want to meet your friends and get to know you better when you’re not under any pressure from crazy opera divas. I know I can be a prick. I know I’ve put you through hell since I met you, but I think you’re amazing, and fascinating, and breathtaking, and if you’ll have me, then I want to be with you. And I promise that I’ll give you everything I have until you don’t want me anymore.”

Jongin’s wide eyes slip closed as he pulls Sehun in for a gentle, lingering kiss. It’s full of want and affection and promises, and it makes Sehun’s heart flutter in his chest. Jongin pulls away, breathless, just far enough so that when he speaks their lips still brush together. “I want that. I want you.” 

And just like that they’re together. Sehun exhales a shaky breath and earnestly kisses him again, tongue sneaking between his lips and searching deep into his mouth. He can feel Jongin’s hand stroking slowly down his chest, taking his time to map out the shapes of the muscles under his skin. His own hands are still tangled in Jongin’s hair, and they tighten and pull gently when he feels Jongin’s fingers skate over his abs to the v of his hips, following that path lower and lower until he teasingly brushes his fingers over Sehun’s dick. He can feel the beginnings of a hard on stirring. Jongin’s fingers travel lower, brushing over his balls, and Sehun spreads his legs so that Jongin can more easily walk his fingers in between them and tease his entrance with light touches. 

This is new and completely foreign to Sehun. No one’s ever touched him there before, and it has his gut twisting nervously and his mouth falling slack against Jongin’s, even as he spreads his legs further. He’s not used to being submissive in any way. He’s always the one to take charge in the bedroom, but he’s been in charge of Jongin for three weeks and the role reversal here has him whimpering for more. Jongin ducks down to suck gently on the column of his throat, and Sehun tips his head back so that Jongin can have better access there, too. Jongin keeps rubbing and pressing feather light at his hole, and Sehun mewls and shudders. 

Jongin stops touching between his legs so he can use the hand to roll Sehun onto his back and settle between his legs as he reaches for the lube. Sehun’s legs fall wide open again as Jongin reaches between them with slick fingers and taps at his entrance. It’s cold and gooey and foreign and Sehun’s eyebrows draw together. Jongin is so slow and carful as he circles lightly and then gently wiggles just the tip of his index finger past the first ring of muscles. 

He leans down to press his lips sweetly against Sehun’s, and Sehun wonders how the finger slowly pushing him open can feel just as chaste as his kisses, while still feeling teasing and dirty. It has his head spinning and his blood rushing south. 

Once the finger is all the way in, thrusting shallowly, Jongin braces himself on his free hand to look down at Sehun’s face. 

“Have you ever done this to yourself?” 

Sehun shakes his head. He’s never done anything to his ass when he jacks off. This is all completely new. 

“How does it feel?” 

“Strange. Good? I’m really turned on.” 

Jongin hums and pulls out to push in a second finger, and now instead of just a weird feeling, there’s a stretch. Sehun gasps and reaches down to grab Jongin’s hand. Not to stop him, just to be able to feel what he’s doing, and maybe get back just a little control. Jongin freezes, concern flickering in his eyes.

“Is this alright?”

“Yes keep going.” 

With his hand over Jongin’s, he can feel the muscles in his hand and wrist work as he crooks and twists his fingers and pushes them deep inside. Sehun likes it. It’s strange, but he likes it. Jongin isn’t Sexy Jongin right now, but he’s not shy work Jongin either. He’s somewhere in between. Confident and at ease while still gentle and caring. Sehun likes this Jongin the best. He imagines this must be what he’s like around his friends. Minus the sex and the nudity of course. 

The fingers curl and press against something and pleasure shoots up Sehun’s spine and back arches with a startled moan. Jongin presses the spot again, pushing at in gently, and Sehun groans and tightens his hand around Jongin’s to keep it there. He lets Sehun hold his hand in place and curls his fingers over the spot until Sehun is panting and twisting under him, like he can’t decide if he want to escape the intense feeling or if he can’t get enough. 

“Can I add a third finger?” 

“Ugh! Yes, fuck.” 

The third finger has Sehun moaning with every breath. There’s just the slightest edge of pain with it, but mostly just a deeply satisfying stretch, accompanied by sharp pleasure as Jongin strokes at his sweet spot again. 

Soon Sehun grips Jongin’s hand tightly and begins pushing the fingers into himself, rocking his hips forward and back to meet them. He can’t get enough of the the pressure or the friction. Jongin barely has to do any work at all, just watches in awe as Sehun fucks himself with Jongin’s hand and moans and writhes underneath him. 

“Jongin, fuck me.” He lets go of Jongin’s hand and grabs the condom and tears it open, and then the lube as Jongin rolls it on. 

“Roll over. It’ll feel better like that.” 

Sehun hurriedly rolls over so that he’s on his knees and elbows and holds his breath as he feels something hard and blunt press against his rim.

“You ready?” 

Sehun nods and rocks back against Jongin, and the other boy presses forward and slowly sinks into him. 

“Ah! Oh fuck. Holy shit that’s… so good.” Sehun shifts back against Jongin, pushing him in faster. It hurts, not too bad, but enough to make him grit his teeth and whine as Jongin slides home, hips flush against Sehun’s backside. 

“Fuck, Sehun, you have no idea how good you look.” He grips Sehun’s hips with both hands and uses them to push Sehun slowly off his dick until only the tip is inside, and then pulls him back down. “Your ass is incredible.” He moves Sehun back and forth a few more times until Sehun’s arms give out and he clutches tightly to the pillow under his head. 

“Fuck, Jongin, please.” 

Jongin leans over Sehun and braces both hands on his shoulders, then pulls back and begins to rock into Sehun. Sehun moans and his knees slip further apart, and Jongin admires the contrast between his own tan arms and hands, and Sehun’s pale skin. They look so good together in the low light. He moves one hand back to curl around Sehun’s thigh as he thrusts into him, faster and deeper. Some small twisted part of him loves the way Sehun submits, after almost a month of Jongin being the submissive one, but mostly he just revels in how good he can make Sehun feel. The other boy’s desperate cries give him the most satisfying kind of rush. Sehun’s legs slip further open, and the angle changes just enough so that Jongin rubs against Sehun’s prostate with every thrust, and Sehun jerks and shouts.

“Harder! Fuck, harder! Just like that.” 

Jongin’s fingers wrap tighter where they’re pressed hard into Sehun’s skin, and he slams his hips deep and hard and Sehun sobs and buries his face in the pillow. Jongin keeps the pace fast and rough, and soon Sehun reaches down to wrap his hand around his dick. It takes just a few pulls before he’s spilling onto the sheets, body clenching around Jongin. Jongin rams into him as deep as he can go, chasing his own climax, and then buries himself deep in Sehun’s body with a choked off groan as he tips over the edge. 

 

They both wake up early the next morning tangled up in each others arms and feeling uncomfortably sticky. The extra time is supposed to give them time to clean up and stop by Jongin’s, but they make the mistake of showering together, and by the time they get to work they’re twenty minutes late, both wearing Sehun’s clothes. Lucia gives them a knowing look when they walk in hand in hand, and Kyungsoo scoffs and says “finally.” Baekhyun and Chanyeol treat them like newlyweds and the mezzos jump up and down and give them dumb dating advise. Jongdae just screams “I KNEW IT” at the top of his lungs until Lucia throws her phone at him. 

It’s a bit sad to see everyone go, but a bit of a relief as well. Lucia already has them thinking about their fall schedules in case they can be home from school long enough to help out.

As the last car pulls away, Sehun and Jongin stand hand and hand in front of the hotel. 

“Well. That was fun.” Sehun says as his thumb brushes over the back of Jongin’s hand. 

“There were ups and downs.”

“What were the ups?” 

“Opera. The people. You.” 

“And the downs?” 

“Exhaustion. Anxiety. You.” Sehun gives him a playful kick. 

“Yeah well you were my least favorite part of this year’s festival as well. I still can’t believe you made me get hard on stage in front of everyone.” 

“Yeah that was awesome.” 

“Hey shut up. At least I can use a copy machine.” 

“Fuck you.” 

Sehun smirks and throws an arm around Jongin’s shoulders. “You can do that later.” 

Jongin blinks up at him, playing dumb. “Do what?” 

Sehun leans in close so he can whisper right into Jongin’s ear.

“Fuck me.” 

Jongin turns abruptly into Sexy Jongin.

“I think we can arrange that. Let’s go home.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think! I'd love to hear your questions and comments.
> 
> Please go give me a follow @M_M_Socks on twitter!


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